The Valet

The French seem to have an unlimited capacity for producing the gentle romantic farce, ideally set in attractive districts of Paris. In Francis Veber's latest, a kind-hearted shlub named Francois (Gad Elmaleh), who works as a valet, is hired by an industrialist, Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil), to pose as the boyfriend of Elena (Alice Taglioni), Levasseur's supermodel mistress. Waiting in the wings for the inevitable misunderstandings and further complications are Emilie (Virginie Ledoyen), for whom Francois pines, and Levasseur's wife (Kristen Scott Thomas). It's all quite predictable, and none of it is as deliriously funny as you'd hope. But it's pretty people in a pretty place (plus a not-very-subtle Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel shout-out), and a pleasant enough diversion for devotees of the genre. In French, with subtitles. Starts Fri., June 8. Manor (AH)